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SPORTS A21
Wednesday 23 December
College Football Preview:
UCLA squares off against Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl
JEFF BARTL than 10, and they hung Colorado wide receiver Donovan Lee, left, is tackled by Pac-12 title, even getting
Associated Press tough with then-No. 3 Iowa some attention as a dark
(AP) - The FBS has been sat- in the season finale before UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown during the first half of an NCAA horse for the CFP. Back-
urated with so many bowl falling 28-20 at home. to-back losses to Arizona
games that the eligibility The Huskers won at least college football game in Pasadena, Calif. UCLA will square off State on Oct. 3 and then-
rules had to be altered in nine games in each of the No. 15 Stanford the follow-
order to fill them. previous seven seasons against Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl on Saturday night at ing week derailed those
First-year Nebraska coach under Bo Pelini, who was hopes.
Mike Riley certainly isn’t fired after 2014. Riley left Levi’s Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) UCLA still had an oppor-
complaining after his Oregon State to take the tunity to clinch the South
squad suffered a number Nebraska job. in the Big Ten in total of- guys going into next year.” Division and appear in the
of close defeats that have “We’re really glad to be fense at 442.5 yards per This was supposed to be the conference title game
the Cornhuskers believing practicing football,” Riley game and has the nation’s year UCLA took the next with a chance to make a
their 5-7 record is a misrep- said. “We have a great op- eighth-best run defense at step after back-to-back major bowl, but it lost 40-21
resentation of their season. portunity. All of what we 113.4 yards allowed per 10-win seasons with Brett to rival USC in the regular-
They’ll get a chance to are doing is focused on game. Hundley at quarterback. season finale.
prove that against a UCLA winning the game. This is “I think it’s a great oppor- Josh Rosen took over and Instead, the Bruins were rel-
team that also fell short of one more great opportu- tunity for us to show that was named Pac-12 offen- egated to facing sub-.500
expectations in the Foster nity. We’ve had a couple we’re a better team than sive freshman of the year Nebraska, which they’ll be
Farms Bowl on Saturday of them in the past month, what our record says,” while throwing for 3,349 playing for the third time
night at Levi’s Stadium. and we have one more offensive lineman Ryne yards and 20 touchdowns, in four years. UCLA beat
NCAA rules state that coming up.” Reeves told the team’s but the Bruins finished just the Huskers 36-30 in 2012
teams must have at least The Huskers do have a official website. “For us se- 5-4 in the conference and at home, then scored 38
six wins and a .500 record quality victory on their re- niors, it’s another opportu- are 8-4 overall. unanswered points to win
to compete in a bowl, but sume, beating Michigan nity for us to go out on top The Bruins began the year 41-21 the following year in
with a record 80 slots to fill, State - which now is ranked with a win and it would be ranked 13th and were ex- Lincoln.
three 5-7 teams are getting third and headed to the a good springboard for the pected to contend for the The advantage this year
a chance to play in the College Football Playoff - also appears to go to the
postseason. when Tommy Armstrong hit Bruins, as Rosen will be go-
Nebraska was the first to Brandon Reilly on a contro- ing up against a Nebraska
be given the opportunity versial 30-yard touchdown defense that ranked 13th
based on the program’s pass with 17 seconds re- in the 14-team Big Ten in
Academic Progress Ratings maining in a 39-38 win Nov. passing defense allowing
for 2013-14. The situation is 7. an average of 288.2 yards
so uncommon that even Nebraska ranks second per game.q
the university isn’t acknowl-
edging the bowl appear- Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey wins AP player of the year
ance in regard to Riley’s
contract, which calls for RALPH D. RUSSO years. and Clemson quarterback Heisman winner was 2009.
bonus money to be paid Associated Press McCaffrey was the runner- Deshaun Watson was third That season Nebraska’s
to him and his assistants for (AP) - Stanford running up for the Heisman Trophy with 11. Navy quarterback Ndamukong Suh was the
reaching the postseason. back Christian McCaffrey to Derrick Henry, but re- Keenan Reynolds and AP voter’s choice while
It wouldn’t have been so is The Associated Press col- ceived 29 of 60 votes from Oklahoma quarterback the Heisman went to Ala-
complicated had the Husk- lege football player of the the AP Top 25 media panel Baker Mayfield each re- bama’s Mark Ingram.
ers pulled out some more year, becoming the first to edge the Alabama run- ceived two votes. McCaffrey is the first Stan-
close games. Five losses non-Heisman Trophy win- ning back. The last time the AP player ford player to win the
were by five points or fewer ner to earn the honor in six Henry received 16 votes of the year was not the award.q
with none coming by more
